Trust in the Avatar
by Doomthatimpends
Summary: Zuko is finally learning the value of patience and starting to understand just what he wants for his future. Unfortunately his goals don't seem to match his fathers vision of the world so he must find a new strategy to save his future. ZukoxSokka!
1. How to Not Light Hats on Fire

The first time Zuko realized that his uncle was insane was when he was eight and he discovered that the old man was having an affair with Zuko's mother, the Lady Zuki. Zuko was not angered by the knowledge. It was common for the nobility to take lovers where they would. The part that made Iroh crazy in Zuko's eyes was the part where the old man freely admitted to loving Zuki and her children. Countless times through his life, his father, Lord Ozai had pounding the thought that love was a weakness into Zuko's head. Iroh was insane to reveal that love to his Brother. It was how he lost Ozai's respect.

Zuko knew, on an intellectual level that his father was wrong. He'd seen far too many people in the Earth Nation fight with extraordinary strength when protecting those they loved. He believed that without love, the Earth Nation would not have held out against the Fire Navy for a hundred years. Even with that understanding, Zuko had still found it necessary to avoid such emotion to survive his father. He had his mother's love and his uncle's love, but Ozai and Azula loved only power. He knew better than to expect care from them and so he cut himself off from the emotion to protect himself.

It's hard to desensitize oneself from a single emotion without losing more. It wasn't long before Zuko felt only the darker of the range of human feeling. Exiled for the last showing of feeling for his people, he lost the feelings one by one until only anger and bitterness remained.

The second time he saw his insanity was when his Uncle boarded his ship of exile and waved cheerfully to the Lady Zuki who stood weeping on the docks surrounded by a contingent of Agni Kai. "We'll write to you!" His uncle had called. Zuko didn't look at his mother. He stared at his Uncle, not understanding why his Uncle was not shunning him as the other's were. His mother's weeping he expected and felt guilty for, but his Uncle's support caught the boy off-guard. He never got up the courage to ask the real reason for it. So he told himself that Iroh was still quite mad and that was that.

When Iroh stayed loyal to him even when he infiltrated Zhao's forces as they attacked the Water Tribe, he barely noticed the insanity of it, inured to his Uncle's odd ways. He didn't even consider the idea that his Uncle might refuse when he handed him the knife to cut his topknot and his ties to his past life in the Fire Nation.

All these evidences filtered through Zuko's mind as he stared at his Uncle. And so he felt himself completely accurate when he answered his Uncle suggestion to join the Avatar. "You're insane." He stated simply. Iroh nodded cheerfully and sipped his tea with unfiltered adoration. With their money troubles, the retired general had been limited to one cup a day and he never failed to make a production of it. Zuko sat back, staring at his uncle.

He wasn't sure when he'd first noticed, but for some time now he's been more and more aware that his uncle was trying to teach him. It started with little things. The older man had pointed out several times that he found a great advantage in waiting and choosing his battles as opposed to expending energy meeting every obstacle. Then he'd mentioned that if you conserved your strength in battle and limited yourself to few perfect moves rather than many imperfect attacks, the energy conserved always made a great difference in an extended battle. These lessons combined with the daily doses of Iroh's unflappable cool and endless patience started to chip away at Zuko's hard-headedness.

Then two days ago, an old woman shoved Zuko into a wall as she passed, then accused him of rudeness. He stopped, thought about it, and chose not to light her horrible hat on fire. He bowed politely and apologized. She left with a snort and no further trouble, and Zuko stood for a long time, staring after her, wondering and how little it bothered him once he made the conscious decision not to let it get to him. After a bit he noticed his Uncle watching him with an unfamiliar expression on his face and shrugged it off and continued on his way.

Now Zuko was doing so again. He was choosing not to blow a gasket at his Uncle for the very suggestion that normally would have him flaming out the nose. He thought about it. After deciding his Uncle was, in fact, quite insane, Zuko considered the man's proposal. He remembered the last letter he'd managed to have smuggled from his mother. She told him that Iroh was everything that a king or lord should be. She told him that Iroh had admitted that he had hopes that he could teach his young nephew to care for the world rather than destroy it. She had also written the phrase that had been sticking in his head ever since. "Iroh is proud of you and the honorable man you've become. If you allow him to, he will give you what you need to save our people from Ozai's lust for destruction."

"How would such an alliance help our people?" Zuko asked quietly. Iroh blinked at him, startled that such a question came from his mouth. He recovered quickly, setting his tea down to study his charge.

"The Fire Lord is going to destroy the world. All elements are required to maintain balance. Fire untempered by Water, Air, and Earth burns quickly and consumes all then dies. For the Fire Nation to survive it must find a balance with the other elements. There are only two ways for our people now. Follow Ozai and die in flames, or let the Avatar bring the world back into balance and survive." Zuko had not heard his Uncle speak so seriously about anything for so long before. He listened in silence.

"If we continue as we are, alone and accomplishing nothing in exile, you will die here, with the rest of the Fire Lord's enemies. But if you join the Avatar, then you will be in the position to help your people. When Ozai falls to the Avatar, the Fire Nation will need a strong, fair leader to keep it from collapsing on itself. It will need you to protect it from the world's retribution and cultivate new alliances."

"If I join the Avatar now after being his enemy, I will know exactly what my people will face in rejoining the world in peace." Zuko said, more to himself, than to Iroh. "I will consider this, Uncle." His Uncle was grinning when he looked up.

"Prince Zuko, I do believe you are growing up. Would you like some tea?" Zuko frowned.

"Don't push it." He snapped and sat in glowering consideration while the older man finished his tea with barely contained bliss.


	2. Sucker? Sock? Slugga?

"I wonder if they would let us catch them if we had a sign of some sort." Iroh pondered as then stood at the edge of a cliff watching the flying bison shrinking in the distance. They were both panting, trying to catch their breaths.

"Yes, we'll write, 'This isn't a trap, I swear!' on it. It's genius." Zuko deadpanned. Iroh cracked up and Zuko marveled for a moment at how much easier things were between them, now that Zuko was learning to control his temper. There were still times when fire shot out of his nose and he envisioned tossing Iroh in a lake, I mean honestly, claiming fatigue when the Avatar was an _hour_ away! But on a whole, things were better. Now if only they could get the Avatar to slow down and hear them out.

"Hello there." Iroh said suddenly, drawing the Prince's attention to a little white thing. _Isn't that the Avatar's pet?_ "Momo, is it? Did you get dropped?" The old man held out a hand to the rumpled form of the Avatar's fuzzy shoulder ornament. Zuko wondered how his uncle managed to remember so many names. He even remembered that Water Tribe boy's name…Sucker? Sock? Slugga? Zuko was good with faces, and he was even then entertaining visions of the Avatar's perpetually dramatic companion, but Zuko was horrible with names. Zuko turned his attention to the white bison that was suddenly growing larger as the others realized that their fuzz ball was missing. A glance showed said fuzz ball was now perched on Iroh's shoulder eating a piece of fruit that Zuko had been saving for lunch. He sighed. Having won over the animal, Iroh came and stood beside him as he watched the bison approach.

"Momo!" the Avatar called, as soon as the bison was in range. The beast stopped, hovering ten feet from the cliff edge. The avatar stood on its head and Zuko wondered idly if it felt odd to the animal. The Waterbender and Slugga stood on the broad saddle, glaring at the Firebenders.

"Give Momo back!" The girl demanded, uncorking her water-skin.

"One moment, please, he's still eating." Iroh requested politely. I looked back to the Avatar.

"Avatar, we need to speak with you. We have a proposition." I called. The boy looked suspicious, but intensely curious at this.

"Why should we trust you?" He asked. His eyes were focused on the lemur that was now lying in my Uncle's arms, practically purring as the man scratched under his chin.

"Momo trusts us." Iroh pointed out. A loud snort drew our attention to Slugga. He stood with him arms crossed, glaring at us.

"Momo is a fruit whore. He's like a bomb if it had fruit tied to it." He argued. Zuko startled everyone including himself by snickering. He hadn't meant to…he'd just seen a mental picture of a lemur kissing a bomb and it struck him as funny.

"What can we do to make you trust us?" Iroh asked after a moment in which everyone stared at the possessed Prince.

"Stop trying to catch us." The girl suggested.

"Of course."Iroh answered with a friendly smile.

"And let us have Momo back." She added. The others made noises of agreement. Iroh looked at me then, still smiling, tossed the lemur into the air. The animal chirruped as it glided across the space to land in the Airbender's open arms.

"Thanks!" The Avatar grinned at his little friend and waved at Zuko as the bison wheeled around and headed out again.

"If you ever need our help we will be staying by the old dock to the east!" Iroh called at the last second. Only Slugga seemed to hear, giving them a skeptical look over the back of the bison's saddle. When they were far enough away Zuko turned to his uncle.

"We failed! We finally had a chance to talk to him and we accomplished nothing!" Iroh hmmed and turned to start back the way they had come. Zuko followed him, feeling wretched. Like he'd just lost the war.

"Battles are not won in only one skirmish, Prince Zuko. They take careful planning and a solid strategy." Iroh said after a moment. Zuko figure that they were headed for the shack that they'd been hiding out in when they heard the Avatar was close. The shack was a decrepit old boathouse that lay beside an abandoned dock. It hadn't been used in ages and Zuko figured the Earth Nation's fisherman had been driven out by the fleets of Fire Navy that harried this coastline.

"But how are we supposed to help him when he's halfway across the world?" Zuko pushed, trying to keep encroaching despair from his voice. Helping the Avatar was now the only thing he could do and Zuko had to do _something_ or he would start to think about his exile and how the world would end when the comet returned and augmented his father's already considerable power.

"We have laid the foundation of trust. He knows that he may have an ally in us. We must trust in his wisdom. If the world truly needs our help, the Avatar will return." Zuko stopped as the boathouse came into view.

"So we just sit and _wait_ for him!" He snarled. "We should at least follow him!"

"If he thinks we are chasing him, it may lead him into more trouble than he would find otherwise. One does not always think clearly when being threatened." Iroh continued to the boathouse and stood surveying it. It was lopsided and in poor repair, but it was a decent size shelter. "Trust in the Avatar to know what is best."

"He's a little boy!" Zuko sputtered. Iroh gave him a sly look.

"So were you not long ago. When you were a boy I heard you speak great wisdom to a council of power-mad generals." The old man smiled wryly. "The timing and presentation were perhaps not so wise, but you have learned much in your exile. Trust that young Aang has learned as well. Life lessons are learned best when life is at its most difficult." Zuko thought hard, eyes looking inward. "In the mean time, you will repair this building so that we may wait more comfortably. There is much work to do, and when we have moved on, perhaps an Earth nation fisherman will think more kindly of us when he returns. The people's hearts can be won by small acts of kindness." Zuko stared while Iroh calmly sat on the edge of the dock and started humming cheerfully.

"R-repair this hovel?" Zuko stammered, still catching up after all the heavy philosophy. Iroh nodded. "A-and wait?" Another nod. "That's it?" He felt lost, but his uncle seemed to have a plan.

"And trust in the Avatar."

"Trust in the Avatar." His eyes slid to the sea and the sky where the Avatar had vanished. "And hope his friends are as insane as mine." He mused.

"Of course they are! You've met Sokka, have you not?" _Sokka? So that's his name._ He'd not really met the other in the traditional sense of the word, but he'd fought him. He remembered fighting him in Kyoshi and being glad that the boy was not a bender. Sokka as a bender might have been a threat.


	3. Royally Tone Deaf

CRAKOOM! Zuko manfully did not flinch or duck as he was tempted to. Iroh was chuckling from his bed of pine boughs in the corner. "Sounds like your Mother's musical talents out there." His Uncle said with a grin. Zuko was miserable and soggy from running through the thunderstorm to reach shelter and was now huddled in a grumpy pile of unhappiness, but he still smiled at the memory of his mother's attempt to learn an instrument, any instrument. She gone through the lot of them when he was eight and her attempts were infamous. He'd learned early on that he shared that lack of talent. Iroh would never get him to a music night. Ever.

An unexpected pang hit him then. His men. He missed his men. The lot of strange and annoying beasts his uncle had recruited for his exile were gone now, dispersed among the Fire Navy by Zhao. He felt strange, thinking of the ragtag bunch that had supported him in his single-minded quest for the Avatar. He wondered if they were okay. He wondered if their new commanders let them have music night.

"Uncle?" Iroh looked at him questioningly. Zuko ducked himself more fully under his ragged blanket so he wouldn't have to look at his Uncle as he spoke. "If we win….if we stop Father…I would like to find the crew again, and thank them." He said quietly. Iroh didn't laugh, fortunately. He nodded.

"I will help you find them." He said simply. Zuko nodded and shivered as the motion sent icy drips down his spine. A thought heightened the flames in the fire-pit in the middle of the room. He warmed himself at it while his eyes roved the boathouse. His repairs were holding so far. Nothing tilted inappropriately and the only leak was from the smoke hole he'd opened above the fire-pit that allowed a drop now and then to fall to a sizzling death.

THUMP! This time he did duck, but then jumped to his feet. "That wasn't thunder." He hissed as his Uncle stood warily. He silently crossed to the dock-side of the structure and peered out at the rain. It was pitch dark, but he thought he saw movement down on the beach.

"ZUKOOOO!" A yelled came then and the desperation in the male voice spurred him out into the rain. He leaped off the side of the dock to the beach and ran the twenty yards to the figure he now recognized as the Avatar's bison. It was lying on its side in the wet sand, wheezing painfully. It's rump was blackened and once he got close enough he gagged when the smell of burnt flesh hit him. Charred fur and skin and sulphur combined in a heavy stench that made his skin break into gooseflesh. He rushed around the poor beast and saw that its bulk sheltered two huddled humans. The Avatar lie sprawled over Sokka's knees, looking bruised and broken, his eyebrows were gone, his skin singed and burnt in places, his clothing mostly worn away. The boy that held him looked little better if conscious. Sokka looked like someone had beaten him with chains. He recognized the work from personal experience. _Mei? Azula brought Mei into it?_ If his sister had brought her friends into the fight, then they were pretty well screwed. _Which won't matter anyhow if the avatar dies before defeating father. _ He dropped to his knees beside Sokka.

"Were you followed?" He asked urgently. The boy shook his head. Zuko had no choice but to believe him. "Let's get him inside. Uncle?" He turned to see Iroh at the bison's head. He turned back to the Avatar and his friend and watched the boy try to lift his unconscious companion. He staggered and would have fallen again if Zuko hadn't caught Aang's slight form in his own grip. "Let me." Zuko said when Sokka didn't release his hold. The teen's blue eyes stared hard at Zuko for a moment before he let go of his fear and put his trust on Zuko. He promptly passed out and Zuko found himself frantically trying to hold up both injured boys with arms slippery from the pouring rain.

"Uncle!"


	4. Big Creepy Staring Guy

Okay here's a long'un with some actually dialogue between the boys. It frightens me that Zuko is so damn broody. Trying to get in his head is making me all broody and considering my temperament is more reminiscent of Aang's, this just seems wrong.

Anyhoo! Thank you to all two of the people who bothered to review!

Kigen, your review saved my sanity and the story. I wasn't sure if I was managing to write Zuko properly and you reassured me that I was getting the right idea across. Thank you!

Potions Mistress 101: Of COURSE she was kidnapped….I tried to not have her be kidnapped but the fanfiction gods smited me with a Bathroom Remodeling Grout Emergency(don't ask, I'm traumatized…)

Okay, now bathe in the broody bath of Zuko's brain:

"Katara….nnnnngh." Zuko looked up from where he was finishing wrapping Aang's last wound, a bad burn on his wrist. Sokka had regained consciousness and was trying to get up from Zuko's bed where he'd been set. Zuko made sure Aang was comfortable on Iroh's bed and took the bag of supplies his uncle had found on the Bison over to the other. Sokka still hadn't succeeded in escaping Zuko's bed and floundered for a moment until a half-amused Zuko put a hand on his chest and pushed gently. The boy deflated back on the blanket and gave Zuko a wild look.

He was soaking wet and bruised and bleeding, his eyes vivid blue and glazed with fever. He was not in the best shape. "Katara! I have to go save Katara…" He insisted weakly.

"You look like you're about to die. Katara can wait." Zuko said firmly. He hadn't had much trouble tending to Aang. The boy was unconscious and all it required was his common sense and he was able to tend his wounds as he would his own. This was different, though. He felt awkward and foolish trying to help another boy his age. He was a Prince. He didn't tend the wounded, the qualified healers did. He scowled. It wasn't like he had a choice in the matter with Iroh out in the rain trying to save the bison. He just didn't know how to deal with a distraught water tribe boy.

"But she's my sister. I'm supposed to protect her…I have to go back…" The previously obnoxiously proud boy pleaded, voice strangled with grief. Zuko sat back on his heels and tried to imagine caring that much for his sister. It didn't work. "She's my responsibility….she's all I have…" Sokka finished brokenly, trying to sit up in spite of the hand Zuko kept pinning him place. Responsibility he could get. Having only one person left to you, he could get. He envisioned himself in Sokka's place with Iroh in AAzula's hands and the words to help the boy came to him.

"You will do her no good if you die trying to get out of bed. Let me help you then we'll find her." Zuko snapped at him.

"Aang…he's alright?" Sokka ventured after a moment, eyes now focused on the sleeping figure across the room. Zuko changed the subject.

"Your sister is a Waterbender, right? Can she heal?" He asked to distract as he took hold of Sokka's shirt and started peeling it free from the blood and water.

"Nngh… Y-yes." Sokka whimpered as his wounds were exposed. It was not as bad as Zuko previously believed. He was beyond bruised, but nothing appeared to be broken, he was just exhausted and in pain.

"She could heal you and the Avatar?" Zuko pressed. He nodded and bit his lip hard when Zuko probed his ribs to ensure nothing was broken. "Where is she?"

"Azula….on her ship." He gasped. Zuko continued his investigation, thoughts focused elsewhere.

"Where?"

"Northwest, about a day's flight." He hissed in pain then grabbed Zuko's hands to keep him from pressing the investigation. "She kidnapped her and used her as bait. She's after Aang. Our rescue attempt…"

"Failed." Zuko supplied when he fell silent and held his hands over the stretch of damp purpling skin before him. Sokka jumped when flames licked out from his palms, but none of them touched him. Zuko ignored the nervous looks and continued warming and drying the prone body. After a moment Sokka continued, still eyeing Zuko's hands warily.

"I was captured and that g-girl-"

"Mei."

"M-mei….she was trying to get me to betray Aang but he saved me. He couldn't get Katara away from Azula."

Zuko was meditating before the fire when Iroh staggered in and flopped across the flames from him. "How is the bison?" Zuko asked quietly.

"Tired. The burns were not so bad. He will be fine with a little rest." Iroh reported, his eyes on the injured.

"Good. I will need it to get to Azula tomorrow." He said, noticing that his Uncle's eyes now rested on the Blue Spirit mask that lay on the ground beside the Prince. It was propped against the hilts of two scimitars. "They had to leave behind the girl. We need her to heal the Avatar so he can fight. We don't have time to find another healer." He explained defensively. _This isn't about helping the Water tribe moron get his sister back. It's a strategically sound move that will serve the Fire Nation in the future. _He reassured himself.

"Do not be seen. Azula is strong and she has her masters with her."

"And Mei." Zuko added silently. "I won't be seen." He agreed, hoping to avoid that sort of pain at all costs.

"I'm going with you." Sokka interjected. Zuko didn't acknowledge him. He would be far quicker and stealthier without an injured fool following. "I can help you."Zuko restrained a weary sigh. He kept his legs crossed, but used his arms to turn him in place until he faced the speaking bruise. He looked very determined, and ready to cause himself all kinds of bodily harm if Zuko said no. The Prince stared at him, remembering fondly the first time they'd met. He remembered sending the boy flying with a foot to the face. He almost smiled until he really looked at the boy's face. He was wearing the same expression now that he did back then. He remembered the determination and now knew just what caused that look on Sokka's face. He scowled as he remembered how easy it had been to storm the Water Village. Sokka had been the only warrior. He'd been protecting his people. From Zuko. The Prince had never considered just why he was always fighting. Intellectually, he knew that as a Firebender, he was an enemy to many. But he'd never before understood that he was feared.

This boy in front of him had fought him when he had no chance, because he was afraid that Zuko would hurt his family. And he was right. Zuko felt ill. He'd destroyed a great portion of their village's defenses and chased the village's only warriors away in his insane attempt to regain his insane father's regard. Zuko suddenly understood just how desperate the boy's need was to drive him to seek help with the one that he must hate more than any.

Zuko's thoughts returned outward and he saw that there was no hate in Sokka's eyes. Just fear and worry. And not a little discomfort caused by having a Firebender stare at you for a while. And then there was the determination that kept his entire body tense. Sokka was prepared at that very moment to fight for the right to save his sister. Zuko wasn't so sure he wanted to argue anymore.

"So do you have anything darker to wear? We'll be relying on stealth and speed and blue is not going to blend with the shadows on a Fire Navy ship." Zuko said, starting slowly, and speaking more quickly as he committed himself. As he watched, Sokka's fear broke and he slashed a grin. Just a split second of joy at getting what he wanted out of the Big Bad Firebender transformed his bruised face into something completely different. Zuko whipped himself around to face the fire, not wanting the former enemy to construe this concession as a weakness and trying to convince himself that the flush on his cheeks was induced by sitting close to the fire, regardless of which way he was facing when it began.

"I have something dark." The boy said and Zuko heard him roll to dig in the pack of the trio's things that had been dumped next to the bed. Zuko took a deep breath and tried to figure out why he'd just felt so strange.

"It will be good to know that someone will watch your back." Iroh said from across the fire. Zuko started, having forgotten his Uncle was there. It wasn't an unusual occurrence though. Zuko tended to focus very hard on what held his attention and someone as trusted and naturally peaceful as Iroh tended to fall into the peripheral. Zuko looked up at his uncle and saw relief.

"You don't think I can take care of myself?" He accused. He was worn out from all the introspection and didn't like the idea of Iroh questioning his strength in front of Sokka.

"I think that I would not want to face your sister alone at night." Iroh said with a good-natured smile. "And I would never ever want to face your sister and Mei alone. Teenage girls are evil." Zuko heard Sokka make a noise in agreement, but he was too busy trying to repress the memory of his last meeting with Mei to say anything. He squashed a shudder and tried to return his focus to his meditation.

"Why don't you try to sleep, Nephew. It has been a long day." Iroh suggested. Zuko scowled at him.

"I'm trying to regain my focus and plan for tomorrow. It is difficult enough without you prattling on." He snapped. He never worried about preserving Iroh's feelings. Iroh was impervious to his temper after a lifetime living with Ozai. He tensed at the snicker from behind him. Sokka was laughing at him.

"I don't think focus is what you lack, you big creepy staring guy." The other chortled. Iroh chuckled at this and Zuko clenched his fists to keep from turning and glaring at the other. He'd probably misconstrue his look of death for more of the mocked staring.

"He can be a bit….intense." Iroh said to the other in a loud conspiratorial whisper.

"In all the times he's attacked us, I've never seen him blink….creepy." Sokka whispered back. Zuko frowned. _I blink don't I?_ He thought about it, suddenly very aware that his eyes were dry and he needed to blink but when he did it just felt unnatural and he wasn't sure if it was from thinking too hard about it or if maybe Sokka was right and he _didn't_ blink. He jumped to his feet and crossed to the far corner behind the Avatar's sleeping form and lay down on the hard floor.

"We'll leave at dawn. Be ready or I'll leave without you." He hissed over his shoulder. Iroh was still chuckling as he turned his tattered focus on sleep.

Okay, time to go to work! Slavery is FUN! WOOOO! cough er….yeah.


	5. YipYip

And WOOO the power is out…I LOVE YOU, LAPTOP!

Alright, so apparently Zula is Azula….I didn't even notice….stupid Z names….with the A being all non-noticeable. And apparently I went insane and spelled Zhao, Zhai. I KNEW how to spell it and still managed to not spell it right. I…er….I blame my cat.

So yeah…I fixed dat crap.

So Voila…the first step to romance is making someone's acquaintance. Strangely enough, Sokka and Zuko are not a ready-bake-couple. They need stirring and kneading and melting before you can add the chocolate chips and even then, you really shouldn't pick out the little bits of eggshell that fell in or it just wouldn't be _them._ And I can tell by the analogy that its time for me to hit the hay.

* * *

The first hour and a half of their search was done in silence. Zuko discovered that Sokka was very much not a morning person and resented anyone who rose before noon to practice firebending forms. The bison was in fact, much healthier than it had appeared in the night. It was missing some of the white poofiness, but the char and blood he'd seen the night before was from very minor burns and scrapes. It did not hesitate or complain when Sokka took its reigns and said "Yip-yip." Zuko wondered if it would respond to more dignified words if trained properly, but he doubted it. The beast seemed wholly of a nature with the Avatar and therefore without dignity.

Zuko, seeing that Sokka had control of the creature, retreated to the rear of the saddle and settled himself as a lookout. It would be some time before they came in range of Azula's ship but he didn't know what else to do. Sokka was ignoring him in favor of staring avidly into the empty blue sky.

Zuko figured that the normally loud and obnoxious boy would be subdued until his friends and family were together and healthy. He understood the weight of the responsibility Sokka had taken upon himself. Being crushed by responsibility was something everyone learned eventually. What Zuko wondered was how the other would change later on, if his sister and the Avatar were saved. Would Sokka return to his cheerful personality and forget just how much could depend on him, or would he feel the weight from then on, crushing his every thought. Would worry eat at him until he became consumed by a single goal? Would he become like Zuko.

The Prince shifted uneasily at that thought. For Sokka's sake, he hoped the warrior would be able to forget. It was likely, he thought. Sokka didn't seem like the focused type in the few meetings they had. He was more the sarcastic, everyone's-insane-but-me-aren't-I-hilarious-and-cute type. Zuko wondered if that really was a type or if maybe Sokka was one of a kind.

"So are you in love with my sister?" Zuko blinked. The question came out of the blue and Sokka was still facing forward.

"What?"

"I'm trying to figure out why the evil Prince of Pain is helping us. Are you in love with my sister?" He finally glanced back at the staring Zuko.

"You think I would abandon my entire life, my people, my future, for a _girl_?" He sputtered in disbelief. Sokka shrugged.

"So why, then?" He pressed. "Is this an elaborate plot to lure Aang into your evil clutches?" Zuko scowled.

"I _have_ the Avatar, if you hadn't noticed. He's deep in my _evil clutches_ and so are you, if you hadn't noticed." Zuko sneered at the now glaring Water-boy, then let his features soften with his voice. "But that is not my goal any more."

"Then what is? Why should we trust you?" Sokka asked bluntly. He turned in place on the bison's head so he could look Zuko in the eye. Zuko hesitated. A part of him still seemed unwilling to voice his hopes for the future. Speaking them aloud to someone other than Iroh might reveal how ridiculous they were. And to say that he was going to betray his father would make it final. He took a deep breath and looked at Sokka. The other was watching Zuko intently, a mix of suspicion and curiosity in his bright eyes.

"I suppose I'll have to trust you if I want you to trust me." He said, not really intending to vocalize the thought. It just came out. "My Father is insane and I need the Avatar to save my people." Sokka looked startled and took a long moment of staring at Zuko to respond. Zuko avoided seeing the expected contempt by turning his head to gaze out at the sea.

"You want Aang to save the Fire Nation?" Sokka said, sounding puzzled. "Why should he? After everything the Fire Nation has done to him, to the world? After they killed every other Airbender in the world, why would Aang stoop to help your people?" His voice didn't come out as harsh as the words would normally dictate. His tone was curious.

"The Avatar brings balance. My people have been misled by my father to believe that the world will be better when the Fire Nation controls all. The Avatar can save them from themselves." Zuko said, waiting for the boy to laugh at him.

"Aang was already planning to help the Fire Nation. Somehow he knew what you wanted. We were on our way back to you when Azula caught up with us." Zuko looked at him, surprised again by how foolishly trusting the Avatar kept revealing himself to be. "He told me to trust you before he passed out. And I trust him, so I here I am."

"Trust in the Avatar…" Zuko murmured. It seemed to be the theme of the past months. Zuko wondered if the Avatar knew just how much the world was putting on his thin little shoulders. His mind showed him a flash of memory, of the Avatar sitting on a tree root waiting for Zuko to wake up. He had seen the boy sitting there, thinking. Somehow the sadness in his face translated to Zuko. He was just a child and he was expected to be so much more and he was just barely managing to keep from crushing under the strain. Zuko was starting to think that if there was anyone in the world who could understand him, it would be the Avatar.

He turned his gaze outward again, to the Water tribe boy that was watching him with a thoughtful expression. "Why were you banished?" Sokka asked him softly. Zuko jerked his gaze away from the other and glared out at the sea.

"That is not your business." He snapped. The last thing he needed right now was the moron questioning his honor.

"You'll have to tell us eventually." Sokka pointed out. "We need to know if you were kicked out for being a homicidal crazy man instead of just a staring crazy man." Zuko twitched.

"I don't stare!" Sokka didn't answer; he just smirked and turned his self-satisfied mug around to face forward again. "There isn't anyone around here worth staring at." Zuko said in a spiteful voice and smiled internally when the boy hunched his shoulders and engaged well-practiced sulk.

"I _knew_ you were in love with my sister. Everyone's in love with Katara. Even Aang is secretly in love with Katara. What'm I? A toad?" Zuko wondered if he was supposed to be hearing the mumbled rant of the water tribe's madman but no longer cared when the bitching seemed to go on. Then he just settled for glowering at the back of Sokka's head. He hoped they found his sister's ship soon. As charming as Sokka was, Zuko thought that prolonged exposure might drive him insane. _My family already has enough insanity in it, thank you very much._

_

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I just violently suppressed the urge to sit as Zuko and muse about life and insanity for a bit….I usually write comedy so this drama thing is more challenging than I expected….once I get into Zuko-mind its hard to get out….he's corrupting my BRAIN! I brooded today! BROODED! It was not….normal.


End file.
